Martin, are you sure the machine is made by Mills? The only horse
racing machines I knew of where made by Watling, Bakers and Pace,
where the Bakers machine actually became the Pace machine.
I believe only the Bakers/Pace machine was a "player piano" type
machine. If it is, in fact, a Bakers or Pace machine, then I have
rolls.
Unfortunately I don't know much about the Watling horse race machine
except that it is a very rare find. The Bakers and Pace machines,
although not your ordinary run-of-the-mill machines, are usually
a little easier to come across.
If you need help identifying the machine, drop me a note.
Jeffrey Ross
[ We need to differentiate between the music rolls and the
[ separate punched paper rolls (or loops) which moved the horses.
[
[ This is an interesting corner of mechanical music and I'd like
[ to place some photos and text about the machines and mechanisms
[ at the MMD web site. Bowers' Encyclopedia, page 82, mentions the
[ Mills Race Horse Piano, the Seeburg Grayhound and the Western
[ Electric Derby. Please write to me <editor@foxtail.com> if you
[ can provide photos and information. -- Robbie
|